Preserving your genealogical records

Photo by Nina Scaletti via Flickr. CC license applies.Acid-free folders should be used to store the documents you collect as you do you genealogical research.

One of the things we do as genealogists is collect. We collect ancestors and relatives, documents and information. Then we take them, process that information and make judgments based on the evidence we collect.

And then we put them away. We enter names into our genealogical software or our family trees or group sheets. We put documents into folders and put them in a drawer, safe forever. Or are they?

It’s very important that we store our documents the proper way, after all, what are we storing them for, if not to preserve them for posterity?

What is the most durable paper in everyday use you can think of? Money, right? The paper that money is printed on is called cotton paper because it’s made, at least partially, from cotton, with a little bit of linen thrown in for good measure.

Paper used to be made that way. Have you ever seen an old book from before, say 1850? It was probably in pretty good shape, right? Before 1850-1860, paper was made mostly of rag.

On the other hand, have you ever seen a book or newspaper from after that time? It was discovered that paper could be made more cheaply from wood pulp, but there are acids contained in wood pulp that affect the paper, making it brittle and discolored over time, especially if it’s had significant exposure to light. Wood pulp also contains lignin, a substance that makes up the cell walls of trees and plants and contains other acids that contribute to the deterioration of paper.

The best way to store your records it to keep them in a cool, dry (humidity is another enemy of paper), dark place. Keep them separated according to whatever filing scheme you’re following by keeping the documents in acid-free, lignin-free folders. By storing them in these folders, you’re counter-balancing whatever acids are in the documents. It’s also important to store your documents in a place where temperatures don’t fluctuate to extremes of cold and hot, even if those happen over the course of a year. Oh, and make sure you remove all staples and paper clips.

Photographs should be kept in similar conditions, in plastic sleeves. The sleeves should be made of something “poly,” like polyethylene, polystyrene or polypropylene. They should NOT be made from polyvinyl chloride, or PVC. PVC emits gases which can damage photos. Photo negatives or slides ideally should be kept in a freezer, but I know it’s difficult for some archives to do this, never mind individuals keeping their own photographs. Again, just keeping your photos or negatives from extremes in temperature is a good idea.

These items may be found in local office supply stores, but you might be better off googling "archival supplies" to find dealers specializing in acid-free materials.

Daniel Klein is the past president of the Hudson County Genealogical and Historical Society. He can be reached at hudsonroots@gmail.com.